In latest Fall River visit, Markey tells voters he's committed to city

On Friday, U.S. Rep. Edward Markey sought to convince local voters that he is the candidate who will advocate for Fall River and the SouthCoast. He mentioned his support for South Coast Rail, Medicare, Social Security and educational programs when he met with voters at the Liberal Club and Al Mac’s Diner.

In his run for the U.S. Senate, U.S. Rep. Edward Markey is looking to woo independent voters like Marie Connelly, with whom the congressman danced with during a campaign stop Friday at the Liberal Club.

Connelly, 82, said she enjoyed the dance. But Connelly later said she was still undecided on whom she will vote for in the June 25 special election for the open Senate seat. Connelly said she will be studying up on the candidates’ positions on the issues.

“I want someone who is going to be watching out for us and the city,” Connelly said.

On Friday, Markey sought to convince local voters that he is the candidate who will advocate for Fall River and the SouthCoast. He mentioned his support for South Coast Rail, Medicare, Social Security and educational programs when he met with voters at the Liberal Club and Al Mac’s Diner.

“Fall River is critical in this election. I’m going to come back here as many times as it takes in order to guarantee that I win Fall River,” Markey said at Al Mac’s while surrounded by local politicos.

Markey lost Fall River by more than 500 votes — 1,993-1,489 — to U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch during the Democratic primary on April 30. Lynch, a former steel worker, appealed to the city’s working class and unionized blue-collar voters, who could be critical swing votes in a tight election.

Recent polls show Markey leading the Republican candidate — Gabriel Gomez, a former Navy SEAL and businessman — between 4 to 8 percentage points. A Suffolk University poll, which seems to be an outlier, has Markey with a 17 percentage point lead over Gomez, who is scheduled to visit the Fall River area on May 22.

Fall River Mayor William Flanagan said Friday that Markey has to win Fall River to win the statewide election.

“He has to be highly visible,” Flanagan said, who noted that Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley — who ended up losing to Republican Scott Brown in the 2010 special election for the U.S. Senate — also lost Fall River during that year’s primary elections.

“Don’t take this region for granted,” Flanagan said. “People here will not blindly follow the Democrats. I’ve spoken with many voters in this community, and many of them are undecided. That’s why I told the congressman that he has to visibly be here from now until the election.”

Whether or not his electoral prospects actually depend on Fall River, Markey later said he believed the city to be a bellwether, and he vowed to visit the city several more times before the election. He also noted the endorsements he has garnered from President Barack Obama, former U.S. Rep. Barney Frank and current U.S. Reps. Joseph Kennedy and Bill Keating.

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“I’m going to earn every vote, and the people in Fall River are going to know that by the end of this campaign,” Markey said.

Fred Mason, an undecided voter, sat quietly eating his lunch in a booth at Al Mac’s while the local political set and campaign aides crushed around Markey. Mason, 60, a carpenter from Middleboro, said he was still on the fence and added that he was disappointed with the Democrats for “giving away too much money” and pushing for stricter gun control laws.

“I think we got too many politicians in politics,” Mason said. “That’s the key. We need down-to-earth people that understand down-to-earth people.”